General Hospital Commentary: True Lies

Secrets, lies, and schemes. It’s just another week in Port Charles, but is all the soapy drama worth it when the heroes keep losing? Can Michael keep his children safe from Sidwell’s evil machinations? Will Portia regret not taking accountability for her crimes when she had the chance? It’s all about true lies in an all-new General Hospital commentary for the week ending August 08, 2025.

It’s hard to tell the truth from the lies on General Hospital these days between all the secrets and delusions. It feels like so many are lying to themselves as well as to those around them because they either cannot or will not take responsibility for their own dirty deeds. No one exemplifies that more than our resident victim, Weeping Willow.

Chase-ing Willow

Are Willow and Chase headed for an affair? It would not surprise me in the least. Willow is drawn to men who fight her battles for her, especially when they are otherwise forbidden. It’s her thing, and I’m sure a good therapist can trace these destructive tendencies to Willow’s days being raised in the cult of Dawn of Day.

This week our transparent General Hospital writers had Chase defending Willow to Michael. Mind you, Chase has had maybe a handful of conversations with Willow in the past year and he has no idea what’s really going on, but he’s Team Willow all the way. He even went so far as to try and guilt Michael into letting Willow spend time with the kids by reminding Michael how Michael did Chase wrong by cheating with Willow.

Dying young

Let’s rewind a bit. Yes, Willow cheated on Chase with Michael. However, it’s not so cut and dry as Chase would make it seem. The first time, Chase and Sasha actively pushed Michael and Willow together for the sake of Wiley. The second time, Chase was terminally ill and dying, so Willow decided to play martyr and grant Chase his final wish, which was to marry her. She had no way of knowing that Chase’s brother would come up with a cure within hours of her and Chase tying the knot.

Chase and Michael were friends, but it was Willow’s idea and she was the one who had made vows and promises to Chase under false pretenses. Michael was not a willing participant in that mess. I don’t get why Chase holds Michael to a higher standard than he does Willow, but it’s clear that he does. Willow is the one who did Chase dirty, which is why it’s so frustrating to see him treat Willow like she can do no wrong.

General Hospital’s resident victim

In recent weeks we’ve seen that Willow has an evil side that she’s kept carefully buried. What she did with Daisy was diabolical and driven by vengeance. She wanted both Sasha and Michael to hurt, so she used Daisy to mete out her punishment. No decent person would devise such a twisted plot. The question now is how far will Willow go to get what she wants? At this point, I wouldn’t put anything past her up to and including kidnapping Wiley and Amelia.

I fully believe that Willow’s conversation with Chase was completely calculated. She opened up to Chase because she hopes to enlist his help sneaking time with the children behind Michael’s back. Time will tell, but I don’t think Willow can wait until October for her day in court. She will either try to kidnap the kids and go on the run with them, or she will find another way to get them away from Michael. The one thing that Willow won’t do is share them.

Willow needs therapy not custody

Sadly, I think Willow sees the kids as a possession. She hasn’t much cared about what is in their best interest since hooking up with Drew. I think in her mind, if she’s happy then so are her children because their happiness is directly tied to hers. She loves them, but it’s not a healthy kind of love. It’s tainted by the trauma of her past. She’s fixated on Wiley and Amelia in a very unhealthy way, which is partly why she had that big emotional meltdown in court and why she was in hysterics when she showed up on Carly’s doorstep demanding to see the children.

I’m genuinely shocked that Willow is back to work at General Hospital even though she’s teetering on the edge of a breakdown. Where is Dr. Collins when you need him?

From the frying pan into the fire

I have always loved Lucas – until recently. These days, I find myself more annoyed by him than anything else. His relationship with Marco has changed him but not for the better. It’s hard to take Lucas seriously railing about Sonny’s sins when he’s silent about Sidwell’s evil deeds. Doubly so when he moves out of Carly’s house to get away from the chaos of Sonny only to promptly move in with Ava who is arguably just as bad as Sonny when given half a chance. Did Lucas miss that part when Ava played fast and loose with Sonny’s mental health by tampering with Sonny’s bipolar medication? Something she did a few years back with Lucas’ nephew, which led to tragic consequences.

Why is Lucas couch surfing anyway? Does General Hospital not pay its doctors a living wage? I wish the writers would remember that Bobbie had a lovely brownstone that she would have left to Lucas in her will. Why is he not moving in and renovating his childhood home?

Lucas is lying to himself if he thinks cutting ties will keep him and Marco safe. He’s madly in love with a new beau and ignoring the fact that Marco has his own ties to darkness. Sidwell held several people, including Lucas’ own cousin Lucky, hostage and threatened to kill them. Sidwell would have done just that if the WSB – thanks to Carly – hadn’t intervened. Lucas not acknowledging that Sidwell is no better than Sonny speaks volumes. This was never about the evils of Sonny. Lucas is upset because he got a sobering reminder that Marco isn’t just a lawyer. He’s connected to a very dangerous man.

Wait until Lucas learns that Marco has no qualms about hurting young children to punish an enemy.

Marco’s true colors

I liked Marco when he was first introduced, but I quickly began to have doubts when we learned that he was Sidwell’s son. Initially, it seemed like Marco was unaware of his father’s criminal ways, but I was wrong. The moment Marco showed up at Wyndemere and announced that he wanted to partner with his father to take down Sonny, I realized that Marco knew exactly who his father is and what Sidwell is capable of. 

Whatever residual goodwill I might have had for Marco vanished when he didn’t even bat an eye as Sidwell laid out his plans to use Michael’s children as pawns to force Sonny to bend the knee. It was such a chilling scene. A good man would have been horrified at the thought of using small children under any circumstances. Marco wasn’t bothered. He didn’t even look ashamed.

Sidwell’s diabolical plans come into focus

While I do appreciate that the General Hospital writers gave us clarity about why Sidwell paid the judge off, I was utterly disgusted by Sidwell’s willingness to harm innocent young children. I also thought the plan was shortsighted. Sidwell might have covered his tracks when he bribed the judge, but there’s always a trail when you frame someone. In Sidwell’s case, there’s also a witness. If the judge could be bought, she can certainly be persuaded to cough up the name of the person who paid her off, especially if she’s staring down the barrel of a mob enforcer’s gun – or facing jail time for taking a bribe.

Harming children in any way is a hardline for me, and the poor Corinthos children have been exposed to quite a bit of emotional trauma lately. Drew filled their heads with lies, their mother was blind to their distress while their father was gone, and now a cruel man has the power to put them into the hands of the woman who continually put her own happiness ahead of theirs. It’s too much. I don’t watch soaps to see children traumatized.

Who’s the boss?

Am I surprised that Sidwell would sink to this level? Not at all. Sidwell showed me who he was when we first met him. He was willing to kill Anna, Isaiah, Holly, Lucky, and Jason over a card game. Sidwell has no respect for human life, which is why his preferred method of mayhem are explosive devices and fires. He doesn’t care about collateral damage and innocent lives.

However, it’s clear that Sidwell is not the one calling the shots. The big cheese is the person who is lurking in the shadows and hiding Britt in a European resort where she is reviewing Professor Dalton’s work. Sidwell is just one of “his” generals. Brennan said that Dalton was working on something involving cold fusion, which points to something much bigger than mob business.

This has all the hallmarks of a Cassadine plot. Is Valentin stirring up trouble for Sonny – and Brennan? Could Jerry Jacks – a known Cassadine associate – be behind this? Did Victor pull a fast one in Greenland and fake his death? The answer to that and more appears to be at the Five Poppies Resort. 

The Five Poppies

That brings me to Britt and her return from the dead.

Turns out, Britt didn’t die in Liesl’s arms. Somehow, she survived the poison from Heather’s deadly hook. The who, what, when, where and why remain a mystery, but it seems Liesl was not aware of her daughter’s miraculous recovery. Liesl’s grief is way too real and raw. If Liesl is acting, she missed her calling.

It also appears that Britt is treating her symptoms from Huntington’s Disease with injections. After Friday’s episode, it’s pretty obvious that Britt is not there entirely of her own free will. She’s cooperating, but she’s not a partner in whatever is going on. Is the payment for her services those much-needed injections to keep her symptoms at bay? If she’s there against her will then that definitely points to someone like Valentin or Victor Cassadine. 

I know there are those who believe it might be her father Cesar Faison, but I’m skeptical. Faison wasn’t a leader. He was too volatile. General Hospital’s villains have been known to resurrect like Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers, but I don’t think Faison is among them. His death truly felt final. Didn’t they dissect his brain, which showed he had advanced-stage Huntington’s Disease? 

I’m eager to get some answers, and from the looks of it next week will be quite an enlightening week. I’m excited about Jason and Anna heading to Croatia, and I find that I don’t even mind Josslyn and Vaughn having a front row seat to seeing a real superspy in action.

What I look forward to most though is Britt and Jason locking eyes for the first time. 😍

Davis shenanigans

Kristina’s plan to divide and conquer worked. That is only possible on a soap opera. In real life, Ava and Ric would continue blackmailing Alexis even if they had a falling out.

I don’t like Kristina and nothing about this storyline has changed that. Sure, Ric and Ava were wrong for coercing Alexis into bilking millions from Ace’s trust fund, but that doesn’t negate Kristina’s crimes. Kristina tried to murder someone and nearly killed two innocent people in the process. It’s long past time for Kristina to grow up and be held accountable for her actions. Alexis can stand by her side, but this enabling has got to stop. 

Hopefully, saving Scout from Drew will help get Alexis’ priorities straight. 

Alexis makes an appeal

I don’t agree with much that Alexis says and does these days, but she’s spot on about Drew and Scout. Drew has shown shocking little concern for Scout since Sam has died. She’s a prop that he uses to give himself the veneer of family man. It’s all about looking good for Willow. That’s it. It’s why Drew had that gleam in his eye when he dropped his bombshell on Alexis that he would soon be taking Scout to check out schools in Washington, D.C. If Alexis didn’t know about it, I have to imagine Scout didn’t either or she would have mentioned it to her grandmother.

I also don’t get this sudden plan to move to Washington, D.C. Didn’t Drew buy that Dawn of Day house for him and Willow to raise their kids in? How is Drew going to continue his campaign to manipulate Willow into taking him back if he’s in another state? 

Fall of the House of Ashford

When did Curtis turn into an idiot? He has to know that Portia is on borrowed time because Drew is not an honorable man. Drew’s word means nothing. Surely, Curtis realizes that Drew will eventually ferret out the truth and seek retribution for Curtis blowing up his wedding. It’s not like Willow has any reason to protect Curtis.

It’s disappointing that Portia let Curtis talk her out of resigning from General Hospital and hiring a good lawyer to deal with her legal problems. When this blows up in her face – and it will – the fallout will be mostly on Curtis because Portia really did intend to do the right thing until Curtis mucked her plans up. Unfortunately, I don’t think Portia will be the only woman in Curtis’ life to pay a price.

Stella – and General Hospital – are in trouble

Martin is beyond stupid for someone who is supposed to be a good lawyer. I can’t take him seriously because the writing is completely plot driven. How does Martin not know that Stella is committing insurance fraud on his behalf? Instead, he acts like she’s out there working insurance miracles.

I know that Stella is doing a bad thing, but it’s for the right reasons. Sadly, that won’t mean a hill of beans because she’s going to face criminal charges and lose her job. Hopefully, she hires a lawyer far more competent than Martin. But does it feel like General Hospital is giving everyone a motive to kill Drew these days?

If Drew does end up dead, there definitely won’t be a shortage of suspects, that’s for sure.

General Hospital Quick Takes

I cracked up when Ava chose to cool herself and Cody off with an ice cube even though Metro Court’s pool was literally steps away. Don’t people generally go to pools to swim and cool off?

Another hilarious moment was when Drew insisted that Willow would not want Ric’s help if she knew that Nina was footing the bill. In the next breath, Drew insisted on paying Martin’s retainer for Martin to represent Willow. I’m pretty sure Willow would want Drew’s help even less than Nina’s. 

I love Emma, but her lowkey neglect of Outback is not amusing. I know it’s a soap, but even on a soap Anna shouldn’t have to remind Emma that Outback needs a walk and exercise. Emma is an adult not a child.

I miss Bobbie’s. Why don’t any of the kids work there?

The mention of Monica’s frail health was a gut punch and a reminder of what is soon to come. I both dread and look forward to seeing how General Hospital will honor our beloved Leslie Charleson as they say a final goodbye to Monica Quartermaine. 💔

What General Hospital viewers are saying

We love reading what other fans have to say about the show, so please scroll down to the Comments section and share your thoughts. It’s at the bottom of this (and every) column.

Welcome home, Dr. Obrecht

“Liesl is the gift that breathes fresh air into the show. Yes, I know she did despicable things. She changed for me. And her grasp of everything is realistic. I look forward to [seeing what] she does next – especially with Rocco. The show is good (with one long drawn-out exception).” — Humor Me

Chase championing Willow

Carol Hoban on X: “@LizMastersSC Chase ran into Willow at the hospital for minutes now thinking she is great mother. Yet even her aunt Dr.O could tell after minutes she was not right.” / X

Bridget Mitchell on X: “@LizMastersSC Wasn’t it Chase who originally fell for Nelle, and that’s how he arrived in Port Chuck??” / X

Lucas talks to Felicia about Sonny

JC on X: “@LizMastersSC Both men are a danger. I can’t stand SIDWELL and why GH opted to make him a central character is beyond me but let’s remember Sonny shot Cates point blank, allowed Alexis to take the rap and did nothing. When has Sonny taken the fall whether on purpose or to protect?” / X

Leslie B on X: “@LizMastersSC Sonny kidnapped Marco, poking a bear. Lucas might be sorely disappointed if/when Marco ends up as bad as Sidwell. At the moment though, I’m team Lucas. Sonny expecting Alexis to apologize was gross. Alexis needs to tell Sonny just how bad their girl Kristina really is.” / X

A few more things before we go

Be sure to check out Dan’s 2025 Daytime Emmys coverage! Even after more than 30 years he is still keeping us updated with all the latest information.

If you watch soaps other than General Hospital, please check out Dan’s latest Beyond the Gates commentary, Gold flakes and unicorn tears. And since we want to support the newest soap, please spread the word that Dan is back to writing about soaps.

Happy viewing,
Liz